The ability to change your eye color simply by
putting on a contact lens is becoming more popular
every day. Many people like them for fun and never
really care how colored contact lenses work. If
you are a little more inquisitive, read on and I
will tell you exactly how colored contact lenses
work.

The concept of colored contact lenses is to cover
the iris with a new color. In general, neat
colored contact lenses come in two varieties;
opaque colors and enhancement tints. Both designs
work well depending on the iris color they are
covering. One amazing feature of colored lenses is
that they never look exactly the same on one
person as they do on another.

Opaque lenses are intended to change an eye’s
color entirely. Opaque lenses can be used to
change a green eye blue or brown eye green. They
usually have a clear pupil opening in the center
of the lens and a heavy color over the iris area.
Depending on the style of lens and the color
chosen, texture and tint of color will vary. For
example, an Acuvue 2 opaque blue is very different
from a Freshlook blue.

Color enhancer contact lenses are used to boost an
existing eye color or slightly alter its tint.
Enhancers have a light tint which will vary from
covering the entire lens, to simply covering the
outer edge of the iris. A sea green enhancer put
on top of a green eye will give a bright green and
very natural effect. That same lens put on a brown
eye will probably have no effect to the original
eye color.

A new concept in eye color enhancement is the
equinox lens. This lens simply has a black ring
around the outside of the iris. This simple
feature adds a mesmerizing effect to anyone’s
existing eye color and usually looks completely
natural.

Colored lenses are designed to be a fun accessory.
Change your eye color based on your mood, outfit,
makeup, or plans. Regardless of how much fun you
are having with them, remember they need to be fit
to your eyes and proper care must be taken. Follow
your eye care provider’s advice as to which lenses
will work for you and how to care for them
properly.

Vision is one of our most precious senses. Without it the world as we know it would be blank. One of the things that we can do daily to protect our eyes from harm is to be sure that each day we consume the recommended daily intake levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that we need in order to keep our eyes healthy. As with everything about our bodies proper nutrition plays an invaluable role in keeping our eyes functioning as well as possible. There are certain nutrients that are known to be especially associated with ocular health.

Among these are the antioxidant vitamins. The eye, especially the lens and the retina is particularly vulnerable to the effects of unchecked free radicals which are a byproduct of oxygen, cellular processes and environmental contaminants. Antioxidant vitamins help to combat free radicals. The primary antioxidant vitamins include Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. in addition to their important action against free radicals they promote healthy cells and tissues in the eye. Lutein and Zeaxanthin are two more valuable antioxidants that recent research has found to be especially effective in maintaining the good health of the eyes.

In addition to the vitamins that promote ocular health there are several minerals that have been determined to play a significant role in the good health of the eye. Among these are zinc, selenium, manganese and copper. Zinc is an important mineral that serves to regulate sight, smell and taste and the concentration of zinc in the eye is actually higher than any other part of the body. One important function of zinc in relation to the eyes is its role in the regulation of the amount of Vitamin A which is essential to good eye health from the liver. People who have a deficiency in selenium have been clinically shown to be more likely to suffer from cataracts.

Recent research into the influence of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients upon the health of the eye has turned up a good deal of new information. This has led to the development of specialized dietary supplements designed specifically to promote ocular health. The early results of clinical trials concerning the disturbance and even reversal of macular degeneration and other age-related eye diseases via specialized nutritional treatments look very promising and research continues to prove it in a rapid pace..

Those seeking to benefit from dietary supplements designed to promote ocular health and healing should familiarize themselves with the most common vitamins and minerals in these supplements doing the research to find out what both would be the best and the safest levels of these nutrients are. Consulting an eye care professional and a licensed nutritionist can be very helpful in planning the best dietary supplement regimen suited to your individual dietary needs and health goals.

Making sure that you are achieving the recommended daily intake levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients is one of the best things that you can do for your overall health and well being. In terms of eye health, paying very close attention to your daily nutrition intake can actually make a real difference in the quality of your vision and help to keep your eyes healthy and functioning well for a very long time. When properly taken dietary supplements can be a valuable part of any ocular health focused program.

Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the AUTHOR’S resource box at the bottom of this article is included and and all links must be Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.

Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about Vitamins, please go to: http://vitamins.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/

There are estimated 168 million people who wear prescription eyeglasses in the United States. Only a very small percentage of those people could tell you what strength their lenses are or read an eyeglass prescription.

The strength of prescription eyeglasses is measured in what we call diopters. Optometrists abbreviate that with a D. The stronger the lens, the higher the diopter measures. Prescription eyeglass lenses are measured in positives or negatives. If you look through a negative lens the object that you are focusing on will look smaller. If looking through a positive lens, the object will look bigger.

There are three professions that deal with prescription eyeglasses that many people are not aware of. The first profession is called an Optician. An Optician makes the lenses, frames and contact lenses. They analyze the prescription and then dispense medications and prescription eyeglasses.

The Ophthalmologist is an eye doctor who is licensed to perform surgeries that are needed to correct vision or aid in curing eye diseases.

The Optometrist is the eye doctor who usually will give the eye exam and checks for any diseases and medical conditions. They are licensed to dispense prescription eyeglasses and medications.

There are three very common eye disorders that can be treated by wearing prescription eyeglasses.

* Mypoia, another name for nearsightedness. The symptoms are blurred vision and inability to focus on objects that are in the distance.

* Hyberopia, which means farsightedness. It is the opposite of Myopia. The symptoms are headaches, eye fatigue after reading or watching television.

* Glaucoma, which is the build up of fluid on the retina. There are no warning signs to this disease and it can cause loss of sight if left untreated.

A person should have their eyes examined by an optometrist every two years until they are the age of 60 then the examinations should be annually.

LASIK vision correction surgery is advertised everywhere. The essential requirements of any surgical intervention are safety, effectiveness and predictability and LASIK is certainly being sold as right for you on all three counts.

FDA-approved and constantly being improved by advances in laser technology, who wouldn’t be tempted by the prospect of never having to wear contact lenses or eye glasses again? However, appealing as this might sound, LASIK surgery might not be right for you.

Understanding LASIK Surgery.

LASIK is the acronym of laser in situ keratomileusis. It is a surgical procedure fundamentally different from surface-based techniques, such as photorefractive keratectomy, where the laser beam is applied directly to the surface of the cornea after the layer of surface cells (epithelium) has been removed.

In LASIK, by contrast, a thin hinged flap of the cornea is created and lifted to one side in order to allow direct laser treatment to the deeper part of the cornea (stroma). The corneal flap is repositioned after the excimer ablation (removal of tissue) has been completed. This is the technique referred to as “flap and zap”.

No stitches are required and the flap usually settles into position within 3-5 minutes. Topical drops are applied to the eye which is then covered by a pad or shield. Reassuringly, although a very fine surgical blade is used to make the incision, anaesthetic eye drops are administered and the procedure is usually painless. Most people experience only a sensation of fullness or mild pressure within the eye.

Although treatment involves cutting into the deeper part of the cornea, LASIK is painless compared to the greater discomfort experienced post-PRK surgery. The pain results from the large abrasion of the corneal surface which occurs in the PRK procedure.

It seems paradoxical but the LASIK procedure which is used to treat more severe forms of myopia (shortsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism involves less discomfort than a procedure designed to correct milder forms of these eye disorders. The relative painlessness of LASIK might well be the deciding factor which helps you decide the procedure is right for you.

Deciding on LASIK Surgery.

Two major factors have to be taken into account when considering if LASIK surgery is right for you: affordability and suitability.

Looking at affordability first, this type of eye surgery is categorized as a non-essential or cosmetic procedure. Accordingly, many health insurance plans won’t provide coverage. As your eyes are a very precious asset you will want to ensure that only a skilled and very experienced ophthalmologist carries out the surgery. Such skills do not come cheap and you are looking at a cost of several thousand dollars - per eye!

Even if you don’t find the cost prohibitively expensive it could be that you aren’t a suitable candidate for the procedure, and the eye doctor will decide that LASIK isn’t right for you. Before your doctor visit you should check out the following:

Are your eyes healthy? Infection, glaucoma, cataracts and dry eye would preclude your having surgery as your postoperative healing would be compromised.

Do you have a degenerative condition or a disease of the immune system? If so, you would not be considered a candidate for LASIK as an individual’s healing characteristics are one of the two major factors determining a successful outcome. The magnitude of the attempted correction is the other important factor.

Your vision must be stable for at least a year before surgery. Long-term wearing of contact lenses, hard and soft, can alter the shape of the cornea. Sufficient time, sometimes up to a few months, needs to elapse before surgery can proceed.

Hot Tip! Ask for information on your doctor’s LASIK eye surgery complication rates. If your doctor won’t tell you, find another one.

Are you pregnant or nursing? If so, you’ll need to wait until your hormone levels are normalised before going ahead. Hormonal levels can affect the shape of the eye.

In summary, then, if the procedure is affordable and you can meet the eligibility criteria, LASIK surgery might be right for you and could be a good option to pursue. With a very high success rate, it’s probably a good idea to go ahead with this relatively painless procedure.

The next section will review the different types of LASIK surgery that are available along with the possible risks and complications of each procedure.

Prescription eyeglasses and/or contact lenses are worn by over 60% of the nations population today. The end of the year 2006, it is estimated that 176 million people will be in need of vision correction.

A survey conducted by the Vision Council of America showed that over 40 percent of the subjects surveyed would wear either prescription eyeglasses or fashion eyeglasses whether they needed to or not. The survey also showed that 39% of the people surveyed perceive people that wear eyeglasses to be smarter than those who do not. The biggest complaints, found in the survey, were dirty eyeglasses and scratched lenses.

Only 53% of the people surveyed that they knew what polarized lenses were on prescription eyeglasses. The function of Polarized lenses is to reduce the glare. They are especially helpful to people who have just undergone cataract surgery and are very sensitive to bright lights. They are popular among boaters, skiers, drivers and any other hobbyist that the glare cannot only be annoying, but dangerous.

The survey conducted also showed that 45% of the people surveyed over the age of 40 had to wear prescription eyeglasses. Out of those people 17% still had problems even while wearing prescription eyeglasses.

Cataracts seem to big a big problem. Statistics show that cataracts affect 20 million Americans. It also shows that cataract are more prevalent among black men. Cataracts are a clouding over the surface of the eye’s lens. The first symptom to a cataract is a little blur vision. Like looking through a smudged piece of glass. Then as time goes the smudge just keeps growing.

Other diseases that require a person to wear prescription eyeglasses are Myopia, which is nearsightedness, Hyperopia, which is farsightedness and Glaucoma. Glaucoma has no symptoms, therefore, stressing the importance of routine eye exams by a licensed optometrist.